05/03/2022
Dear Felter's Fling followers and participants,
It was a tough decision, but finally, I can address this message to you all.
After all the work in an attempt to make our gathering happen this year, my partner and I decided to move it to August 2023.
Our plan to return it to Snow Farm looked good initially, but while working on the contract with them, we could not come to an agreement and make it work for both sides. The first reason is the new elevated prices, not only for housing but also for meals and studio spaces. The venue now has new owners, and they equipped the studios with machinery and tools for woodworking, glass making, ceramic, etc. These studios are constantly in use, and the cost of the rent has gone up. They only agree to rent out the entire farm for all the event time plus days before and after for setup and cleaning. It looked possible when we started planning in 2021, but later the price became unreasonable considering the cost of our workshops. Other conditions, like the requirement of the total payment early in advance, made it even harder for us. As you probably know, Felters' Fling is only the name of the event, a traditional gathering, and it has no funds, budget, or membership fees as fiber guilds have. All the financial responsibility here is on the shoulders of the organizer. As you are aware, I'm just a professional artist that supports her family by making art and teaching workshops. I'm not in the position to take the risk of this scale and pay large sums up front, some of which are non-refundable by the contract terms.
Like YMCA on Lake George, the other possible venues so far cannot be as convenient for our purposes. They will have large groups of people from other parties, a shared cafeteria, and other shared facilities. So far, not everyone is comfortable being in such crowded places with visitors from big cities. Some of the tutors that we planned to invite are hesitant to come because they are still taking precautions and are not ready to be in close contact with so many people.
We also looked at the place in Pennsylvania; it is a possibility for 2023. This year they are booked for the entire August, and September is great weather-wise, but it's school time, and it will reduce the chance of participation for some of our younger flingers.
Considering all the circumstances, we concluded to move the event to August 2023.
I received many emails with your questions; some were warm and supportive, and I thank those who understand how difficult it is to create such a significant event shortly after the pandemic.
Some asked me how then I am making a retreat on Tenerife this summer (June 26th - July 4th).
The truth is, it's a lot easier to organize a retreat for 9 to 12 people nowadays than for 90. The Canary Islands belong to Spain but are located in the Atlantic ocean, closer to Africa than Europe. The climate there is ideal, not too hot and never too cold. They didn't have scary Covid numbers like Europe had, and now the situation there is even better and safer, and no restrictions are recommended or applied. The venue on Tenerife is a beautiful and serene private yoga retreat villa, with a separate cute house for each participant. It is a lot more privacy and safety, and as I'm teaching a workshop myself, I do not need to worry about bringing other tutors. It makes it a lot easier to do and will be a good beginning in return to a more or less Normal.
Please do not hesitate to write to me if you have some questions that I didn't answer yet.
